Industrial Safety Engineering Module 1

MCN401
INDUSTRIAL SAFETY
ENGINEERING
MODULE 1
1
PRISLEY VARGHESE MATHEW
ASST. PROFESSOR
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
MUTHOOT INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE

SYLLABUS
Module I (safety introduction- 5 hrs)
 Need for safety. Safety and productivity.
 Definitions: Accident, Injury, Unsafe act, Unsafe Condition, Dangerous Occurrence,
Reportable accidents. Theories of accident causation.
 Safety organization- objectives, types, functions, Role of management, supervisors,
workmen, unions, government and voluntary agencies in safety.
 Safety policy. Safety Officer-responsibilities, authority. Safety committee-need, types,
advantages.
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INDUSTRIAL SAFETY
DEFINITION/CONCEPT:
Primarily a management activity concerned with reducing,
controlling & eliminating hazards (potential situation or condition
awaiting to be converted into an unwanted event(accident)) from
industries or industrial units
Any method/technique/process which can minimize hazards or
unwanted events(accidents) in a working place is referred to as
industrial safety method/technique/process
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CASE STUDY
 The Bhopal disaster, also referred to as the Bhopal gas tragedy, was a chemical accident on
the night of 2–3 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant
in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India.
 The industrial disaster is considered the world's worst in history. Over 500,000 people
were exposed to methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas. The highly toxic substance made its way into
and around the small towns located near the plant.
 Estimates vary on the death toll, with the official number of immediate deaths being 2,259.
 In 2008, the Government of Madhya Pradesh had paid compensation to the family members
of 3,787 victims killed in the gas release, and to 574,366 injured victims.
 A government affidavit in 2006 stated that the leak caused 558,125 injuries, including
38,478 temporary partial injuries and approximately 3,900 severely and permanently
disabling injuries. Others estimate that 8,000 died within two weeks, and another 8,000 or
more have since died from gas-related diseases.
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INDUSTRIAL SAFETY
 Safety is a very important aspect for any industry as an accident free environment boosts
the morale of the team members working in any hazardous situations.
 Recognizing these facts industries have a separate department/ section for safety so as to
create proper awareness and provide the know- how about the safety.
 Adherence to the rules, information and mandatory requirements governing the safety and
guidelines will prevent occupational injuries and accidents.
 All undesired events in a workplace which can give rise to death, ill health, injury, damage or
other loss need to be thoroughly investigated, people be trained to safeguard against them,
and need to be eliminated.
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 Safety means continuing and healthful living without injury inside the plant.
 Safety is freedom from harm or the danger of harm.
 Safety also refers to precautions taken against to prevent accidents, harm, danger, damage, loss
and pollution.
 Safety also deals with improvement in working conditions for better health.
 Plant management is responsible for providing safety in working conditions and individual
safety
 It is not only sufficient to take care of safety but also the other two interrelated aspects-
health and environment
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INDUSTRIAL SAFETY

ELEMENTS OF INDUSTRIAL SAFETY
1. Safety
2. Health
3. Environment
These three are popularly known as SHE. All these three elements are interrelated and
affect each other.
1) Safety
 In industry, safety may be considered and motivate workers towards safe work practices
 Industrial safety is primarily a management activity which is concerned with reducing,
controlling and eliminating hazards from the industries or industrial units.

2) Health
 For works which are direct exposure to hazard, appropriate preventive measures must
be taken in order to avoid any danger to the safety and health of workers.
 The preventive measures should place emphasis on the need to eliminate or reduce the
hazards at the source.
3) Environment
 Environmental factors indicate improper physical and atmospheric surrounding
conditions of work which indirectly promote the occurrence of accidents.
 The plant operation should not pollute environment.
 Even poor house keeping will also result in the damage of environment.

 All these three elements are interrelated and affect each other.
 For instance, if health of employee is not given due regards, it may lead to accidents.
 If industry pollute the environment around work place, it will affect health of employees
which may ultimately affect production.
 It is only if health and environment are in control, then safety can be ensured.
 Each industry, therefore has certain obligation towards keeping good environment and
also towards health of people.

NEED/ OBJECTIVE FOR SAFETY
 To prevent accidents in the plant by reducing the hazard to minimum.
 To eliminate accident caused work stoppage and lost production.
 It reduces damage to equipment and machinery
 To achieve lower workmen’s compensation, insurance rates and reduce all other direct
and indirect costs of accidents.
 To prevent loss of life, permanent disability and the loss of income of worker by
eliminating causes of accidents.
 To boost employee’s morale by promoting safe work place and good working condition
 To educate all members of the organization regarding safety
 Safety is necessary for the benefit of employees
 Safety helps to increase rate of production
 It reduces cost of production

PLANT SAFETY PROGRAMMES
 In a plant safety programme, it is necessary to identify the possible causes of the
accidents, then study them and then take effective steps for their prevention.
 For an effective plant safety programme, following areas should be covered:
i. Plant layout
ii. Maintenance of the equipments
iii. Protective equipment requirement
iv. Safety department with proper communication system
v. Fire fighting facilities
vi. House keeping

OBJECTIVES OF PLANT SAFETY
PROGRAMME
 To prevent accidents in the plant by reducing the hazard to minimum.
 To eliminate accident caused work stoppage and lost production.
 To prevent loss of life, permanent disability and the loss of income of worker by
eliminating causes of accidents.
 To achieve lower workmen’s compensation, insurance rates and reduce all other direct
and indirect cost of accidents.
 To elevate employees morale by promoting safe work place and good working
conditions.
 To educate all members of the organization regarding safety.

4 E’s OF PLANT SAFETY PROGRAMME
 Engineering: i.e. safety at the design, equipment installation stage.
 By the engineering application, major part of safety problem can be controlled or eliminated.
 Engineering in safety begins even from blue print stage of any factory.
 Potential hazards are to be considered at design stages to avoid production losses ,to reduce accident and to
save cost on redesigns or replacement of equipment.
 The participation of safety specialist form planning stage will definitely help in building a safe factory
environment.
 Education: i.e. education of employees in safe practices.
 Due to lack of proper knowledge many accidents occur in our daily life.
 Unsafe working condition, exposure to physical hazards, and doing unsafe works due to lack of knowledge,
improper attitude or ignorance can result in accidents.
 The employees are given necessary training even at the initial stage of appointment to an assigned job.
 For safety , specific training and education is needed for any employee. Sometime people may forgot proper
procedure or may become over confident in their job. This also creates accidents. Hence refreshing training
courses are needed frequently. Supervisors will be best medium for giving effective training to their
subordinates.

 Enlistment: i.e. it concerns the attitude of the employees and management towards the safety
programme and its purpose.
 This is necessary to arose the interest of employees in accident prevention and safety consciousness.
 Encouragement: i.e. to enforce adherence to safe rules and practices.
 For achieving better performance in the field of industrial safety, management should encourage
it’s personal to follow safety rules and procedures.
 The rules formed should be simple and understandable and should be avoiding conflict of opinion.
 The management should say that the rules are formed only when they are essential.
 The rule should not be too much, and should not make confusion and frustration among people.
4 E’s OF PLANT SAFETY PROGRAMME

PRODUCTIVITY
 Physical relation b/w quantity produced (output)and quantity of resource used (input)
used in production.
 Overall measure to produce a good or service.
 Output(good or service) & Input (Land, Labour, Materials, Energy, M/C, Capital, Mgmt).
 Productivity-Output/Input
 Elimination of wastage of materials, labour, machine time, capital, materials mgmt. are some
ways by which productivity can be improved.
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BENEFITS OF IMPROVING
PRODUCTIVITY
 A productive workplace offers a wide range of benefits to the company, employer, and
employees:
 Increased Performance: Workplace performance and productivity go hand in hand. When
performance is increased, so does productivity. Also, increasing productivity in the workplace
can motivate employees to put in more effort, thus increasing performance.
 Improved Employee Engagement: Efficient and effective productivity in the workplace
encourages employees to be more involved in their work. Additionally, such employees are
always ready to take on new tasks and often aim to be the best at what they do.
 Greater Fulfilment: Increased productivity can give employees and employers a sense of
fulfilment and purpose. Those in the workplace can be happy or unhappy based on the level of
productivity.
 Promotes a Healthy Work Culture: A productive workplace can improve employee well-being.
Plus, when people achieve goals as a team, they are likely to form professional work
relationships.
 Better Revenue Generation: Long-term productivity in the workplace can maximize company
profits. Organizations that are productive offer better services and can easily turn a profit.
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SAFETY & PRODUCTIVITY
 Mental, physical & social conditions of workers & adequacy of health & safety measures
are main indicators of quality of working life.
 Health & safety measures can be included in list of productivity improving techniques
at workplaces.
Industrial safety is useful to improve productivity:-
1. If a worker is mentally ensured that he is working in safe conditions(his life is safe) &
working conditions are free of hazards, his morale & concentration will be more which
increases productivity(in reverse case, worker will show disinterest & will have fear
reducing the productivity)
2. The more productive they are, the more likely they are to put extra attention into the
quality of their work
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SAFETY & PRODUCTIVITY
2. Managerial staff(senior managers, HR managers) will be able to perform their functions
(planning, organizing, directing, co-ordinating etc.) if the workers under them are ensured of
safety, which in turn will boost the productivity of organization. (If many accidents are
occurring in the company, managers will lose their focus reducing productivity)
3. Safe working environment motivates workers to perform their jobs with maximum
efficiency & effectiveness which increases productivity.
4. Fellow workers will lose their focus/morale when their co-workers are injured/met with
accidents due to unsafe working conditions.(this reduces productivity)
5. Safe working environment leads to reduction of accidents & hence, reduction in
direct(medicines & treatment) & indirect costs(compensation, loss of service, insurance) of
accidents which increases productivity,
6. Safe working environment reduces absenteeism which in turn increases productivity.
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“SAFETY AND PRODUCTIVITY ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN”

TERMINOLOGIES ASSOCIATED
WITH SAFETY
 Safety: A quality or condition of being safe from danger, injury, damage, loss and accident.
 Accident: An unpleasant, unexpected, unforeseen event that arises by a mistake or machine
failure or natural disaster and results in injury, fatality, ill health, property damage or
combination of these.
 Hazard: Source, situation, or act with a potential for harm in terms of human injury or ill
health or property damage or a combination of these all.
 Reportable injury: If a person sustained injury & unable to resume his duty within 48 hours.
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TERMINOLOGIES ASSOCIATED
WITH SAFETY
 Non Conformance: Any Deviation from work standards, practices, procedure,
Regulations, Management System requirements etc, that could be either directly or
indirectly lead to injury or illness, damage or loss to property or combination of these.
 Dangerous occurrence: Any occurrence of serious nature which could have caused
injury/ death to person but did not, is called Dangerous occurrence.
 Near Miss: A narrow escape of injury or any harm
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ACCIDENT
 It can be defined as “An accident or occupational accident is an event related to the
health of man, sudden occurring and originating from external sources ,and
which is associated with performance of a paid job, accompanied by an injury,
followed by disability or even death”.
 An unpleasant, unexpected, unforeseen event that arises by a mistake or machine
failure or natural disaster and results in injury, fatality, ill health, property damage or
combination of these.
 For instance, In an organization a person / labor while working receiving an electric
current, a labor cut his finger from machine, blast in chemical industry because of
various reasons, fire in textile section etc..
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ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF ACCIDENTS
The following are the cost associated with the accident:
1. Direct cost of accident
2. Indirect cost of accident
1. Direct cost:
 These are the losses to the employer, which he pays to the worker for compensation.
Employer also pays for medical expenses incurred on the worker. This type of losses can be
measured in terms of money.
 Direct cost includes:
 Compensation paid to the worker for temporary or permanent disability caused by accident.
 Money paid for treatment and cure of workers disabled by on job accident
 Money value of damaged equipment and materials, expenses towards repair, replacement of
damaged machines and equipment
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ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF ACCIDENTS
2. Indirect Cost occurs due to:
 Loss of time of injured person
 Loss of damage to equipment, materials and plant
 Loss of wage paid to the injured worker
 Cost of replacing the injured worker
 Loss of delay in production due to accident
 Loss of production by the replaced worker
 Loss due to the reduction in efficiency of the other employees due to their fall in morale.
 Cost of safety engineer, supervisors and staff investigating, recording and reporting
accidents.
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TYPES OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT
1. According to length of recovery
2. According to the nature of injury
3. According to the causes of the event

 Machinery Accidents
 These type of accidents occur due to inadequate safeguard of machines.
 These accidents can be reduced by providing safe guard on belts, gears, etc. and proper
design and arrangement of machines.
 Non-machinery Accidents
 These accidents occur due to personal reasons of the employee and poor
infrastructure.
 Factors of Non-machinery accidents are:
i. Age
Accidents are more frequent with younger person due to inattentiveness, and lack of experience.
ii. Experience
Rate of occurrence of accidents for more experienced worker is less than that of the people with
less experience

iii. Physical condition
Experiments have proved that minor illness like sore throat, cold, headache, etc. are responsible
for accidents to a large extent. These small frequent illness are responsible for lowering general
health.
iv. Production rate
In order to achieve higher production rate, the speed of the employee become higher. Due to this
pressure, accidents occur.
v. Atmospheric condition
Normally accidents occur, at a temperature less than 20◦C, Rate of accident increases after 34◦C
due to heat. Above 34◦C, rate of accident increases considerably.
vi. Illumination
Dim illumination raises accident frequency. In day light, accident frequency is less compared to
artificial illumination.
vii. Fatigue
Fatigue is responsible to reduce the power to work, and the pleasure taken in the work is reduced.
The certain factors of fatigue are repetition of the work, tension, stress.

CATEGORY OF ACCIDENT
 There are THREE category of accidents.
1. Minor Accidents.
2. Reportable Accidents.
3. Accidents due to dangerous occurrence.

It includes all those accidents that are
 Less harmful in nature to the worker
 Preventing employees from working for the period less than 48 hours from the
time of accidents.
 These accidents are not reported to the higher management.
 These accidents are easily control.
1. MINOR ACCIDENTS

It includes the category of accidents which is little complicated than of
minor accidents.
 Here the injuries caused to the worker prevent him from working for
the period of 48 hours or more.
 Here supervisor is responsible to report to the higher management and
arrange another worker so that the production could not be affected.
2. REPORTABLE ACCIDENTS

 Any occurrence of serious nature which could have caused injury/ death to person but did
not, is called Dangerous occurrence.
 Dangerous occurrences are certain unintended, specified events, which may not result in a
reportable injury/ death, but which do have the potential to cause significant harm.
 These occurs due to
 Bursting of vessel for containing steam under pressure greater then atmospheric pressure.
 Failure of crank or other appliances.
 Explosion of fire causing damage to any room or place where person are employed.
 Explosion of container used for storage of any gas or liquid at a pressure greater than atmospheric
pressure.
3. DANGEROUS OCCURRENCE

DANGEROUS OCCURRENCE
It also includes:
 1. The disintegration of a revolving vessel, wheel, grindstone or grinding wheel that is operated by
mechanical power.
 2. The collapse or failure of a lifting appliance ("Lifting appliance" includes crane, derrick, winch and
hoist.)
 3. An explosion or fire that -(a) causes damage to the structure of any workplace, or to any plant or
substance at a workplace; and(b) prevents the continuation of ordinary work at the workplace.
 4. An electrical short circuit or electrical failure of electrical plant that(a) is followed by, or associated
with, an explosion or fire; or(b) causes structural damage to the plant,being a short circuit, failure,
explosion, fire or damage that stops the operation of the plant or prevents it from being used.
 5. An explosion of a receiver or container used for the storage at a pressure greater than atmospheric
pressure or of any gas or gases (including air) or any liquid or solid resulting from the compression of
gases
 6. A total or partial collapse of a roof, wall, floor, structure or foundation of premises where a workplace
is located.
 7. The overturning of a collision with any object, by(a) a bulldozer, dumper, excavator, grader, lorry or
shovel loader, or (b) a mobile machine used for the handling of any substance in a quarry
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CAUSES OF ACCIDENT
 An accident is an unexpected incident, though we can identify the certain causes for
the occurrence of accident.
1. Unsafe Acts
2. Unsafe conditions

 Unsafe act may be defined as the deviation form the normal and correct procedure or
practice.
 Committing mistake by person or any act that may lead to accident is known as unsafe act.
 People make the violation of the standard rules & met with an accident. 80% of all injuries on
duty are the result of unsafe Acts by people.
 It results in unnecessary exposure to hazards, or conduct minimizing the degree of safety.
1. UNSAFE ACTS

1. UNSAFE ACTS
 Unsafe act is related to the psychological aspect of the workers.
 The following are unsafe acts:
 Operating or working at unsafe speed – operating a machine at a speed it is not designed to run at.
 Working without authority – entering a confined space before it has been declared safe.
 Adjusting moving machinery – lubricating bearings or changing the drive belts while the machine is still
running.
 Chance taking – Running in front of a fork lift
 Making safety devices inoperative (removing or disconnecting)-PPE not worn: not wearing safety
goggles when grinding.
 Using equipment unsafely
 Taking unsafe position or posture (standing or working under suspended loads, lifting with back bent
etc.)
 Unsafe loading, placing, mixing, combining etc.
 Improper use of tools
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1. UNSAFE ACTS
To prevent unsafe act type accidents:
 Think about how to do the task safely prior to engaging in the work.
 Warn co-workers of hazards. When a custodian is mopping the floor, use warning signs at locations to warn
pedestrian traffic. If something spills on the floor, warn co-workers of the hazard until the spill is cleaned. If
equipment is damaged or defective, warn coworkers by taking the equipment out of service or by
lockout/tagout.
 Comply with all work rules and procedures.
 If you are not trained to use a piece of equipment, don’t use it.
 Don’t rush your work or take shortcuts. Don’t try to complete a ten minute task in two minutes. Chances are
that something will go wrong.
 Use all equipment, tools, and material in the appropriate and intended manner. Don’t use a chair as a ladder.
 Use proper lifting technique, a lifting device, or get assistance.
 Use appropriate personal protective equipment.
 Stop and mentor employees engaged in unsafe acts.
 Supervisors should be vigilant for unsafe acts.
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2. UNSAFE CONDITIONS
 The unsafe condition is a hazardous physical condition or circumstance which could
directly permit the occurrence of an accident.
 Any sources or situation or condition that have potential to create accident is known as
unsafe condition.
 It includes working conditions which are prone to have an accident.
 A study attributes 20% of all injuries on duty to unsafe working conditions.
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 Some examples of unsafe conditions are:
 Poor guarding of machines – inadequate or inefficient
 Defective Conditions – hand tools, equipment, substances
 Poor workplace Layout – work flow, overcrowding and congestion
 Substandard housekeeping- Eg Waste bins, Aisles, Storage, signs & notices not properly placed
 Loud noise – can’t hear instructions etc
 Inadequate illumination or ventilation – can’t see clearly or breathe properly
 Inadequate or improper protective equipment
 Defective tools, equipment or materials
 Inadequate warning systems
 Poor housekeeping or disorderly workplace
 Hazardous environmental conditions; gases, dusts, smokes, fumes, vapors
 High or low temperature exposures
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To prevent unsafe condition type accidents:
 Think about how to do the task safely prior to engaging in the work. Ensure that you have
all appropriate equipment, tools and material to safely do the job. If you don’t have the
correct equipment, e.g., personal protective equipment, tell your supervisor before starting
the work.
 Inspect all equipment, tools and material before use. Make certain the item is in good
working condition and is appropriate for the task.
 Make certain that you have enough space to complete the job. Many injuries are caused
because employees didn’t have sufficient room to do a job.
 Injuries occur everyday because employees choose not to say anything about known
hazards. Employees identifying unsafe conditions should cease their activity and report the
condition to their immediate supervisor for corrective action.
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ACCIDENT PREVENTION
 Accident prevention measure is basic necessary in an industry in order to:
 Increase morale of employee
 To have good employer-employee relation
 To reduce operation and production cost
 To prevent injury and pre medical death of employee
 Some of the important safety measures helpful for preventing accidents are:
1. Safe work place layout
2. Safe working conditions
3. Safe material handling
4. Personal Protecting devices/Equipment (PPE)
5. Prevention of electrical accidents
6. Good house keeping
7. Eliminate/reduce accident proneness

INJURY
 An injury or illness is an abnormal condition or disorder.
 Injuries include cases such as, a cut, fracture, sprain, or amputation.
 Illnesses include both acute and chronic illnesses, such as, but not limited to, a skin disease,
respiratory disorder, or poisoning.
 Injury means mental or physical harm to an employee caused by accident or disease, and
also means damage to or destruction of artificial members, dental appliances, teeth, hearing
aids and eyeglasses, but, in the case of hearing aids or eyeglasses, only if such damage or
destruction resulted from accident which also caused personal injury entitling the
employee to compensation therefore either for disability or treatment.
 An injury is damage to your body. It is a general term that refers to harm caused by
accidents, falls, hits, weapons, and more.
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INJURY
 An injury is any physiological damage to the human body caused by immediate physical
stress.
 An injury can occur intentionally or unintentionally and may be caused by trauma (a deeply
distressing or disturbing experience.), burning, toxic exposure, asphyxiation (the state or
process of being deprived of oxygen, which can result in unconsciousness or death;
suffocation), or overexertion (Overexertion can occur when you push yourself too hard
physically.).
 Several major health organizations have established systems for the classification and
description of injuries.
 Injuries can occur in any part of the body, and different symptoms are associated with
different injuries.
 Treatment of an injury is typically carried out by a health professional and varies greatly
depending on the nature of the injury.
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INJURIES THAT HAS TO BE REPORTED
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TYPES OF INJURIES
 Slips, Trips and Falls
 Slips, trips and falls accounts for major injury of the workers.
 They are caused by environmental factors. These factors include poor lighting, slippery surfaces,
inappropriate footwear and hazards such as electrical cables or deliveries on the ground.
 Slips, trips and falls cause musculoskeletal injuries, cuts, bruises, fractures and dislocations. Knees,
ankles and backs are most impacted.
 Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI)
 RSIs is a term for overuse injuries that impact soft tissues of the neck, back, shoulders, arms and hands.
Many people associate RSIs with office workers who spend long hours in front of a computer but they
can occur in most industries.
 Mental Injuries
 Psychological stress occurs due to work-related stress, low role clarity, poor organisational management
change, high or low job demand, poor environmental conditions and remote or isolated work.
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TYPES OF INJURIES
 Muscular Handling Injuries
 Manual handling involves lifting, pulling, restraining, carrying and pushing objects in the
workplace.
 A muscular injury can occur when a worker lifts a load awkwardly, lifts a load that is too heavy,
when they don’t warm up cold muscles or take enough breaks. Upper limb and back injuries
account for more than half of all manual handling injuries.
 Machinery and Equipment Injuries
 Manufacturing industry workers not only have the highest fatality rate, they are at increased risk
of serious injury compared to other industries. The moving parts of machinery, plant equipment
and tools can cause fractures, broken bones, internal organ damage, amputations, joint and open
wounds.
 Workers can become entangled in machinery or the materials being used in the machine, or be
struck by parts or material ejected by the machine.
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THEORIES OF ACCIDENT
CAUSATION
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THEORIES OF ACCIDENT CAUSATION
 Accident causation theory is the art and science that seeks to understand the deeper roots
of why accidents happen.
 Understanding accident causation theory is essential in determining why workplace
incidents occur and so that we can prevent re-occurrences.
 There are several major theories concerning accident causation
1. The domino theory developed by H. W. Heinrich, a safety engineer
2. Human Factors Theory
3. Accident/Incident Theory
4. Epidemiological Theory
5. Systems Theory
6. The energy release theory, developed by Dr. William Haddon, Jr.,
7. Combination Theory
8. Behaviour Theory
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1. HEINRICH’S DOMINO THEORY
 According to Heinrich, an "accident" is one factor in a sequence that may lead to an injury.
 The factors can be visualized as a series of dominoes standing on edge; when one falls, the
linkage required for a chain reaction is completed.
 Each of the factors is dependent on the preceding factor.
 After studying the reports of 75,000 industrial accidents, Heinrich concluded that
 88 percent of industrial accidents are caused by unsafe acts committed by fellow workers
 10 percent of industrial accidents are caused by unsafe conditions.
 2 percent of industrial accidents are unavoidable.
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 Heinrich’s Dominos – The Process
1. A personal injury (the final domino) occurs only as a result of an accident.
2. An accident occurs only as a result of an unsafe act or unsafe condition.
3. Unsafe act or unsafe condition exist only through the fault of careless persons or poorly
designed or improperly maintained equipment.
4. Faults of persons are inherited or acquired as a result of their social environment or
acquired by ancestry.
5. The environment is where and how a person was raised and educated.
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Heinrich’s Domino Theory – Critical Issues
 The factor preceding the accident (the unsafe act or the unsafe condition) should receive
the most attention.
 Heinrich felt that the person responsible at a company for loss control should be interested
in all five factors, but be concerned primarily with accidents and the proximate causes of
those accidents.
 Heinrich also emphasized that accidents, not injuries or property damage, should be the
point of attack.
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Heinrich’s Domino Theory – Corrective Action Sequence (The four “E”s)
 Engineering
 – Control hazards through product design or process change
 Education
 – Train workers regarding all facets of safety
 – Impose on management that attention to safety pays off
 Enlistment
 – It concerns the attitude of the employees and management towards the safety programme and
its purpose.
 Encouragement
 –Enforce that internal and external rules, regulations, and standard operating procedures are
followed by workers as well as management.
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2. HUMAN FACTORS THEORY
 The human factors theory of accident causation attributes accidents to a chain of events
ultimately caused by human error.
 It consists of the following three broad factors that lead to human error:
 overload,
 inappropriate response, and
 inappropriate activities
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1. Overload
 Overload amounts to an imbalance between a person’s capacity at any given time and the
load that person is carrying in a given state.
 A person’s capacity is the product of such factors as his or her natural ability, training, state
of mind, fatigue, stress, and physical condition.
 The load that a person is carrying consists of tasks for which he or she is responsible and
added burdens resulting from environmental factors (noise, distractions, and so on),
internal factors (personal problems, emotional stress, and worry), and situational
factors (level of risk, unclear instructions, and so on).
57

2. Inappropriate Response
 How a person responds in a given situation can cause or prevent an accident.
 If a person detects a hazardous condition but does nothing to correct it, he or she has
responded inappropriately.
 If a person removes a safeguard from a machine in an effort to increase output, he or she
has responded inappropriately.
 If a person disregards an established safety procedure, he or she has responded
inappropriately. Such responses can lead to accidents.
 In addition to inappropriate responses, this component includes workstation
incompatibility.
 The incompatibility of a person’s workstation with regard to size, force, reach, feel, and
similar factors can lead to accidents and injuries
58

3. Inappropriate Activities
 Human error can be the result of inappropriate activities
 An example of an inappropriate activity is a person who undertakes a task that he or she
doesn’t know how to do.
 Another example is a person who misjudges the degree of risk involved in a given task and
proceeds based on that misjudgement.
 Such inappropriate activities can lead to accidents and injuries.
59

3. ACCIDENT/INCIDENT THEORY
 The accident/incident theory is an extension of the human factors theory and is sometimes referred to as the
Petersen accident/incident theory.
 Petersen introduced such new elements as overload, ergonomic traps, the decision to err, and systems failures.
1. Overload
2. Ergonomic traps
 – These are incompatible work stations, tools or expectations (management failure)
3. Decision to err (to make a mistake, especially in a judgment or decision)
 – Unconscious or conscious (personal failure)
 – A variety of pressures such as deadlines, peer pressure, and budget factors can lead to unsafe behaviour
 – Another factor that can influence such a decision is the “It won’t happen to me” syndrome.
4. Systems failure (Management failure)
 Management does not establish a comprehensive safety policy.
 Responsibility and authority with regard to safety are not clearly defined.
 Safety procedures such as measurement, inspection, correction, and investigation ignored or given insufficient attention.
 Employees do not receive proper orientation.
 Employees are not given sufficient safety training
61

62
3. ACCIDENT/INCIDENT THEORY

4. EPIDEMIOLOGICAL THEORY
 Traditionally, safety theories and programs have focused on accidents and the resulting injuries.
 However, the current trend is toward a broader perspective that also encompasses the issue of
industrial hygiene.
 Industrial hygiene concerns environmental factors that can lead to sickness, disease, or other
forms of impaired health.
 This trend has, in turn, led to the development of an epidemiological theory of accident
causation.
 Epidemiology is the study of causal relationships (one thing is responsible for causing the
other thing) between environmental factors and health.
63

4. EPIDEMIOLOGICAL THEORY
 The key components are:
 predispositional characteristics (act in a particular way)- tendencies may predispose worker to
certain actions
 situational characteristics- peer pressure, poor attitude, risk taking
 These characteristics, taken together, can either result in or prevent conditions that may
result in an accident.
 For example, if an employee who is influenced to peer pressure (predispositional
characteristic) is pressured by his coworkers (situational characteristic) to speed up his
operation, the result will be an increased probability of an accident
64

5. SYSTEMS THEORY
 A system is a group of regularly interacting and interrelated components that together form a
unified whole. This definition is the basis for the systems theory of accident causation.
 As per this theory, an accident may occur in a system comprised of the following components:
person (host), machine (agency), and environment.
 The likelihood of an accident occurring is determined by how these components interact.
 Changes in the patterns of interaction can increase or reduce the probability of an accident.
 For example, an experienced employee who operates a numerically controlled five axis
machining centre in a shop environment may take a two-week vacation. His temporary
replacement may be less experienced. This change in one component of the system
(person/host) increases the probability of an accident.
66

5. SYSTEMS THEORY
 The primary components of the systems model are the person/machine/environment,
information, risks, decisions and the task to be performed.
 Each of the components has an influence on the probability that an accident will occur.
67

5. SYSTEMS THEORY
 As this model shows, even as a person interacts with a machine within an environment, three
activities take place between the system and the task to be performed.
 Every time a task must be performed, there is the risk that an accident may occur.
 Sometimes the risks are great; at other times, they are small. This is where information collection
and decision making come in.
 Based on the information that has been collected by observing and mentally noting the current
circumstances, the person weighs the risks and decides whether to perform the task under
existing circumstances.
 For example, say a machine operator is working on a rush order that is behind schedule. An
important safety device has malfunctioned on his machine. Simply taking it off will interrupt work
for only five minutes, but it will also increase the probability of an accident. However, replacing it
could take up to an hour. The operator and his supervisor may assess the situation (collect
information), weigh the risks, and make a decision to proceed. If their information was right and
their assessment of the risks accurate, the task will probably be accomplished without an accident.
 However, the environment in which the machine operator is working is unusually hectic, and the
pressure to complete an order that is already behind schedule is intense.
 These factors are stressors that can cloud the judgment of those collecting information, weighing
risks, and making the decision.
 When stressors are introduced between points 1 and 3, the likelihood of an accident increases.
68

6. HADDON’S ENERGY RELEASE
THEORY
 Energy Release Theory — a theory of accident causation and control, developed by Dr.
William Haddon Jr., that portrays accidents in terms of energy transference.
 This transfer of energy, in large amounts and/or at rapid rates, can adversely affect living
and nonliving objects, causing injury and damage.
 Thus, an accident is caused by energy out of control.
 The theory states that various techniques can be employed to reduce accidents, including
preventing the buildup of energy, reducing the initial amount of energy, preventing the
release of energy, carefully controlling the release of energy, and separating the energy
being released from the living or nonliving object.
69

7. COMBINATION THEORY OF
ACCIDENT CAUSATION
 There is often a degree of difference between any theory of accident causation and reality.
 For some accidents, a certain model may be very accurate. For others, it may be less so.
 Often the cause of an accident cannot be adequately explained by just one model or theory.
 Thus, according to the combination theory, the actual cause may combine parts of several
different models. Safety personnel should use these theories as appropriate both for
accident prevention and accident investigation.
 However, they should avoid the tendency to try to apply one model to all accidents.
70

8. BEHAVIORAL THEORY OF
ACCIDENT CAUSATION
 The behaviour theory of accident causation and prevention is often referred to as behaviour
-based safety (BBS)
 BBS has both proponents and critics.
 One of the most prominent proponents of BBS is E. Scott Geller, a senior partner of Safety
Performance Solutions, Inc., and a professor of psychology.
 BBS is the application of behavioural theories from the field of psychology to the field of
occupational safety.
71

8. BEHAVIORAL THEORY OF
ACCIDENT CAUSATION
 According to Geller, there are seven basic principles of BBS:
 1. intervention that is focused on employee behaviour;
 2. identification of external factors that will help understand and improve employee behaviour
(from the perspective of safety in the workplace);
 3. direct behaviour with activators or events antecedent to the desired behaviour, and motivation
of the employee to behave as desired with incentives and rewards that will follow the desired
behaviour;
 4. focus on the positive consequences that will result from the desired behaviour as a way to
motivate employees;
 5. application of the scientific method to improve attempts at behaviour interventions;
 6. use of theory to integrate information rather than to limit possibilities; and
 7. planned interventions with the feelings and attitudes of the individual employee in mind.
72

SAFETY ORGANIZATION/ SAFETY
DEPARTMENT
 Every industry must have a safety organisation with well defined objective and well
identified functions.
 It has been experienced that safety policies often fail if safety functions are distributed or
made part of activities of several departments.
 Under the system of distributed responsibilities the safety functions have often been
reported to corporate managers through personnel and human resource department,
operational office or legal office.
 Such practices had often obliterated (destroyed) the successful implementation of safety
programmes.
73

DEPARTMENT
 Safety functions become successful if they are controlled by a single department with safety
personnel interacting with other activities functionally.
 Safety dept. have staffs who specialize in area of Engg., safety systems & manuals, training,
occupational health, industrial hygiene, process safety, medical matters & envt. protection
 A top level corporate manager must supervise safety organisation in a large industry.
 Safety director or manager at industry level may report to corporate manager.
 There may be several managers reporting to safety director who would look after special
safety functions such as fire, environment, occupational health, claim for compensation etc.
 These managers will necessarily interact with all other departments wherever workers are
involved.
 Authority and responsibility of everybody in the organization is clearly defined and
interrelationship between them is specified for the accomplishment of organizational safety
goals.
74

DEPARTMENT
 A suitable organisation chart for large and highly safety conscious industry is shown in
Figure
75

OBJECTIVES/ FUNCTIONS OF
SAFETY ORGANIZATION
 Selection of remedies and corrective action with regard to unsafe acts and conditions.
 Participate in formulation of safety policy
 Ensure that safety systems are created, maintained & adapted
 Ensure compliance with safety requirements
 Identify, assess & monitor hazards
 Educate & train workers, promote safety communication in field of safety, contribute to technical
developments in safety.
 To prevent accidents in future
 To provide safe work environment
 Integrate safety policies with job process
 Compliance of rules as per factory act
 Invite cooperation and suggestions from the employees
76

IMPORTANCE/AIM OF SAFETY
ORGANIZATION
 Treatment(for injuries & illness at workplace)
 Provide workers with a safe environment
 Medical examination(for new staff/people returning to work after sickness/accident)
 Conduct routine inspections at workplace
 Hazard identification
 Enforce safety rules & appropriate discipline
 Provision for protective devices(helmets, gloves, goggles)
 Develop & implement safe work procedures & rules
 Consultancy(for medical advice)
 Education(safety & health training)
77

SPECIFIC AREAS FOR WHICH SAFETY
DEPARTMENT TAKES RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Advice to senior/top management: safety policy, safety mgmt. systems,
technical safety aspects, hazards incidents review, safety performance
measure, compliance with safety rules
2. Creating, monitoring & review of safety mgmt system: personnel
selection criteria, process safety reviews, safety audit, emergency
accidents planning, accidents investigation, safety documentation &
training
3. Creating & Conducting of safety-related activities
4. Safety training, exercises & drills
5. Communication: technology developments, good safety practices,
accident investigation & history
78

SPECIFIC AREAS FOR WHICH SAFETY
DEPARTMENT TAKES RESPONSIBILITIES
6. Dept. should be company’s window to outside world, monitoring
developments, whether in legislations, technology or safety
practices.
7. Planning to ensure that various process safety reviews & hazard
studies are scheduled & monitored.
8. Commitment to safety education & training of workers
9. Creation of safety culture & implementing good practices
10. Training of new safety related techniques/equipments
79

ROLE OF MANAGEMENT FOR
SAFETY IN PLANT
It is the responsibility of Management to ensure that a safety manual is prepared which shall include
the following:
 (a) Safety policy outlining the commitment of the management for establishing, maintaining,
monitoring and reviewing the various elements of the Safety Management System.
 (b) Safety organization at plant level with responsibilities.
 (c) Safe procedures for carrying out various activities.
 (d) Identification of hazards that could give rise to the potential of injury, health impairment or
death and measures to overcome such hazards..
 (e) Procedure for obtaining permission to work for carrying out operations which may effect the
safety of the human beings.
 (f) Accident reporting and investigation.
 (g) Plans and procedures to achieve the objectives and targets set by the management
 (h) Appointment of competent persons for carrying out inspection, testing and certifying various
equipments, structures and environment for carrying out jobs safely.
80

SAFETY IN PLANT
The management shall also ensure the Health, Safety and Welfare of all workers while they are
at work in the plant by implementation of following aspects.
 (a) the provision and maintenance of plant and systems of work in the plant that are safe
and without risks to health;
 (b) the arrangements in the plant for ensuring safety and absence of risks to health in
connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances;
 (e) the provision of such information, instruction, training and supervision as are necessary
to ensure the health and safety of all workers at work;
 (d) the provision of suitable personal protective equipments, safety appliances, and clothing
and to ensure their proper use.
81

SAFETY IN PLANT
 (e) the provision of First aid and in-house Medical facilities and further medical treatment
facilities to the workers whenever injured while at work.
 (f) the provision of carrying out regular safety inspection of plant and machinery and
arranging periodical internal and external safety audits.
 (g) the provision of conducting investigation of accidents and to implement the
recommendations of the investigation team.
 (h) the provision, motivating the workers on the safety awareness programmes.
 (i) the provision, encouraging the active participation of the workers in promoting safety
through Safety Committee and to implement the recommendations.
82

ROLE OF SUPERVISOR FOR SAFETY
IN PLANT
 The supervisor has a critical role in achieving workplace health and safety.
 Supervisors know the work practices and the employees they supervise and are in touch
with the health and safety problems that can arise.
 The following are the responsibilities:
 (i) Imparting training and education to all categories of employees (experienced, novice or
new entrants as well as transferred) in safety procedures and norms.
 (ii) Assessment of safety procedures and their proper enforcement.
 (iii) Regular testing and monitoring of the working environment, plants etc.
 (iv) Active participation in safety and housekeeping committees.
 (v) Regular and thorough safety inspections and engage in proper repair and maintenance.
 (vi) Acceptance of direct responsibility in the matter of safety programmes.
83

ROLE OF SUPERVISOR FOR SAFETY
IN PLANT
 (vii) Investigation of all accidents (fatal and non-fatal) and preparation of injury reports.
 (viii) Assignment of special duty for certain experienced employees to help out new entrants or
transferred employees not quite conversant with the plant and safety norms.
 (ix) Carrying out of monthly safety meetings.
 (x) Assisting the personnel to cope with emergency situations as for example accidents due to
fire gas leaks etc.
 (xi) Arrangement of special training in case of new equipments or work procedures.
 (xii) Improvement of the safety programme and to enhance the effectiveness of the same.
84

ROLE OF WORKMEN FOR SAFETY
IN PLANT
 Workers are responsible for their own safety on the job.
 This means that workmen have the right to refuse to do any act or operate any tool,
appliance, or equipment when they have reasonable cause to believe that to do so would
put them in danger.
 It is the worker's responsibility to wear proper clothing for the job site and to use the PPE
provided by the employer or required for the job.
 As a worker, he/she should keep the following personal responsibilities in mind:
 (i) Acquaintance with safety norms, rules, regulations, laws, codes etc. in connection with
safety management.
 (ii) Abiding by the instructions, rules and regulations regarding safety.
 (iii) Abiding by the orders of the authorities in the matter of safety.
85

ROLE OF WORKMEN FOR SAFETY
IN PLANT
 (iv) Pointing out to the authorities any deficiencies in the work procedures, defective tools and
machineries, defective controls and lack of repair and maintenance which may result in
hazardous situations.
 (vi) Check on personal habits, as for example alcoholism, drug addiction, untidy habits and
manners and clumsy working etc.
 The worker must not remove any safety equipment from machines or equipment. This includes
shields from grinders, mixers, etc..
 The worker must have had adequate instruction about a piece of machinery or equipment before
he use it..
 The worker must make sure that no machine, equipment, or tool is used in a way that would
cause injury to someone else..
 The worker must make sure that there are safe entrances to and exits from the workplace.
 The worker must make sure that the work area is safe for the movement of workers, equipment,
and materials. The worker must wear protective eyewear when using grinders and other
equipment that may be hazardous to the eyes.
86

ROLE OF UNIONS FOR SAFETY IN
PLANT
 The health and safety of workers is a priority for unions in the workplace.
 In most organizations, union workers form health and safety committees tasked with
identifying, controlling and reporting workplace hazards.
 The duties of union includes:
 (i) Cooperation with the government and insurance companies to locate the unsafe
conditions or any defective or unsafe acts being followed in the undertaking after thorough
inspection of the workplace concerned.
 (ii) Organisation of training exclusively for safety so that the problem of safety is jointly
faced by the trade union leaders as well as the workers.
 (iii) Observation and collection of data regarding safety matters including working under
hazardous situation in workplace, non-compliance with safety rules etc. A list of demands
may be put up to improve working conditions etc. and to negotiate with the management to
reach an accord.
87

ROLE OF UNIONS FOR SAFETY IN
PLANT
 (iv) Conducting investigation of injuries, illness etc
 (v) Monitoring workplace conditions.
 (vi) Educating members and leaders about specific health and safety issues.
 (vii) Developing strategies for getting issues concerning worker health and safety addressed
 By forming health and safety committees, unions demonstrate to both workers and
employers their commitment to improving working conditions and protecting workers on
the job.
88

ROLE OF GOVERNMENT, VOLUNATARY
AGENCIES FOR SAFETY IN PLANT
 (i) Framing of safety laws and regulations and their enforcement: Safety laws and
regulations must be framed with due care taking due account of the prevailing conditions in
the industries concerned. The laws and regulations become fruitless due to lack of
enforcement. Enforcement of safety laws and regulations can be effected through various
labour inspectorates, mines inspectorates, factory inspectorates and even other agencies.
 (ii) Research, development and testing: There should be adequate laboratory and other
facilities in the direction of research, development and testing which should include testing
of materials and equipments, assessment of working conditions including noise pollution
and various other monitoring processes like air pollution control and monitoring. Even the
manufacture of proper machine guards, equipments and their quality control can be
handled by various public authorities and social organisations
89

 (iii) Safety organisations and associations. Safety organisations and associations could
be state sponsored or even manned by social organisations. The functions of these safety
organisations and associations are to promote safety in industries as for example national
safety council having its headquarters in Mumbai is engaged in promotion of safety in
industries in a number of ways in other countries too like USA, UK, Australia etc.
 (iv) Cooperation among the inspectorates management and workers. Utmost
cooperation is warranted among inspectorates, mangement and workers to create a
congenial atmosphere where the provisions of safety norms could be maintained by proper
interaction between the constituent partners responsible for safety.
 (e) Advisory and educative role of state services. The state services have to shoulder
responsibility in disseminating the knowledge and norms of safety through its labour
inspectorate in the form of safety booklets, safety leaflets, safety posters, safety reports etc.
for accident prevention. In India this task is performed by government departments,
government sponsored organisations, national safety council etc
90

 (vi) Setting up of model state-owned industries: Certain state-owned industries could be
set up as ideals so far as industrial safety management is concerned. These industries can
be so perfectly developed taking due consideration of industrial safety, that these can act as
models to be followed by private industrial entrepreneurs.
 (vii) Audio visual aids in safety management: The government sponsored organisations,
the private industrial establishments and other social activists can develop programmes to
inculcate the safety management ethos among the workers and the public by arranging
suitable exhibitions, establishing museums, advertising through media, holding safety
workshops, observing safety weeks and through other safety related activities.
91

SAFETY COMMITTEE
 Group of persons selected from the company to consider, investigate &
report, to act or deal with safety related matters/issues in interest of
welfare of the company
 Integral element of good safety & health program, it serves to demonstrate
top mgmt’s direction & commitment to safety
 Consists of staff members who have direct responsibility for safety such as
Manager, Safety Engineer, Plant Engineer(members qualified, experienced
& capable of taking task of safety mgmt.)
 Committee may be elected by Workers themselves or nominated by the
Employer, headed by a Chairman(Number strength/function of Committee
may vary for each company)
92

NEED FOR SAFETY COMMITTEE
 To promote safety in the workplace
 To increase safety awareness
 To build enthusiasm for safety programs
 To reduce & prevent injuries/accidents
 To promote staff involvement in field of safety at all levels
 To increase productivity(output/input)
 To create safe working environment & improve safety communication
 Improve employee morale(by safe working methods/procedures)
93

FUNCTION OF SAFETY COMMITTEE
Promote safety through co-operation between Top management &
workers, Involve employees in safety programs.
Planning for control of physical hazards by following the standards in
guarding machinery, equipment design, layout
Arousing & maintaining interest in safety of all workers & supervisors &
help them to understand safety in their work
Investigation/study of accidents & its records
Safety training
To provide an opportunity for free discussion of accident problems &
preventive measures
To make safety activities an integral part of operating policies & methods
Maintain a safe environment for employees & visitors.
94

DUTIES OF SAFETY COMMITTEE
1. To Ensure Management Commitment to Workplace Safety &
Health
• Submit written recommendations for safety/health improving
• Evaluate employer’s safety/health policies & procedures.
• Respond in writing to safety committee recommendations.
• Review corrective action taken by management.
2. Committee Meetings & Employee Involvement
• Establish procedures for employee input, i.e. to receive suggestions, report
hazards & other safety & health information.
• Include employee input on agenda for safety committee meetings.
• Hold monthly meetings & keep meeting minutes.
• Develop & make available a written agenda for each meeting.
• Take meeting minutes & distribute to management & the safety committee
members
95

3. Hazard Assessment & Control
• Establish procedures for workplace inspections to identify safety & health hazards.
• Assist employer to evaluate accident & illness prevention program.
• Appoint an inspection team of at least one employee representative & one
employer representative.
• Conduct workplace inspections at least quarterly.
• Make a written report of hazards discovered during inspections.
• Review corrective measures.
4. Safety/Health Planning
• Establish procedures to review inspection reports & make implementation of new
safety/health rules & work practices.
• Develop/establish procedures for an annual review of the company safety & health
program.
96

5. Accountability
 Evaluate the company safety & health program.
6. Accident/Incident Investigations
7. Safety/Health Training for Committee Members
• Identify & make accessible applicable standards & other codes that apply to your particular
industry.
• Provide specific training on your type of business activity( training on hazard identification
of the workplace & how to perform effective accident incident investigation)
• Recommend training for new employees & refresher training on work location safety
practices, procedures & emergency response.
97

HOW TO ACHIEVE GOALS OF A SAFETY
COMMITTEE
Develop a safety program & work to effectively train all employees
on the program.
Serve as a safety review board for all incidents & recommend
safety measures helping to prevent similar occurrences in future.
Establish a procedure for reporting hazard conditions /activities.
Conduct facility &/or premises inspections to identify & correct
unsafe conditions before they create an incident.
Coordinate & assure that practice emergency drills are being
conducted.
Assure first aid kits & personal protective equipments are met.
Develop & conduct safety orientation training for new workers
98

TYPES OF SAFETY COMMITTEE
 Safety Committees are of two types:
1. OPERATIONS SAFETY COMMITTEE: it looks directly after accident
prevention programs at all stages/levels
 Chairman of this committee is reportable to the executive safety
committee
 Members of this committee includes Secretary of Executive safety
committee, Chairman & Secretary for this committee, plant safety
inspector along with a few supervisors
 Frequency of this committee’s meeting is decided by Executive safety
committee, but for certain special cases urgent meetings can be
conducted.
 Preparation of agenda, supply of facts/info. for considerations &
discussions etc. lie with secretary of this committee
99

FUNCTIONS OF OPERATIONS SAFETY
COMMITTEE
Approval of all proposals related to new constructions, new
equipments, modifications in processes & procedures
Taking suitable actions after reviewing reports & recommendations
submitted by safety inspector, safety officer, plant engineer,
investigation officer & service engineers
To check safety processes & procedures at regular intervals
Discussions on conditions & circumstances that might trigger off major
accidents along with remedial measures
100

2. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
 Purpose is to provide executive direction specially regarding accident
prevention at all levels
 Committee consists of designated representatives selected by head of the
organization, plant superintendent, general mangers including safety
managers & some other functional managers
 Chairman of this committee is reportable to Head of the orgn.
 Meetings of this committee is usually held in first week of each month or on
some other dates in case of emergency or on special orders of the Head of
the organisation
 Preparation of agenda, supply of facts/info. for considerations & discussions
etc. lie with secretary of this committee
101

FUNCTIONS OF EXECUTIVE SAFETY COMMITTEE
 Review of accident frequency & severity from time to time
 Reports & recommendations to be reviewed & acted upon
 Major changes in safety policies & reshuffling in structure of safety
organizations to be sanctioned
 High costs involved in accidents prevention to be approved.
 Apart from two types of Safety committees (Operations & Executive),
following types of safety committees are also found in industries:
1, Plant Central Safety Committee 2, Company Or Inter-plant Safety
Committee 3, Departmental Safety Committee 4, Foreman’s
Safety Committee 5, Worker’s Safety Committee 6, Inspections
Safety Committee 7, Joint Mgmt. Labor Safety Committee 8,Electrical
Safety Committee
102

SAFETY OFFICER
 A hundred things happen at once in an organization. And each of these activities needs to take
place in a safe environment.
 So it’s crucial to have a person in your company who can recognize what could go wrong, act
when something goes wrong, and be willing to take ownership of the situation.
 This is where the role of a safety officer comes in.
 The safety officer is an internal employee who is assigned to prevent accidents, respond to
emergencies and evaluate the effectiveness of the company’s safety programs.
 A safety officer identifies safety hazards, investigates them thoroughly, and controls them before
someone gets hurt.
 The safety officer is the ‘head’ of the safety department and, in most organizations, reports to the
Chief Operations Officer.
 The safety officer also checks if the safety program is working effectively and efficiently to meet
all requirements.
 The role of a safety officer can vary from company to company, but they all have one thing in
common — ensuring the safety of everyone in the workplace.
 They verify that everyone on the site is following safe work practices and doing their jobs safely.
109

SAFETY OFFICER- ROLES
In general, safety officers have three main roles:
1. Planning
 Safety officers must create a safe environment by making sure they have all the necessary
equipment for their team.
 They also have to ensure that they have all the required things for their team.
 An example of this would be ensuring they have shoring equipment at hand that they can
use to shore up an unstable wall.
 Making sure that the employees have all the necessary tools to finish their work safely is
also a part of the responsibility.
110

SAFETY OFFICER- ROLES
2. Organizing
 Safety officers are also responsible for organizing their workload so that no harm will come
to them or anyone else during their work activities.
 They have to make sure that employees can complete the tasks without causing any damage
to the workplace or anyone else.
3. Supervising
 Finally, safety officers are responsible for supervising everyone who works under them to
ensure that they are doing their work safely.
 When supervising, they need to make sure that each person knows their role in the process
and where they fit in.
 Safety officers handle a broad range of tasks, including various first-aid procedures and
safety checks on equipment.
 They also help set up and operate emergency equipment correctly. In some companies, they
may be the only person on-site with first-aid training
111

The safety officer is responsible for ensuring the safe and effective operation of any and all areas and facilities in
the organization. Here are some of the specific responsibilities that every safety officer has.
 Identify and assess hazards, risks and control measures for a specific operation or process.
 Conduct ongoing review of operations and processes to identify potential hazards, risks and control
measures that should be implemented to reduce these risks, including all costs involved in implementing
such measures.
 Assess and document hazards, risks and controls in a manner consistent with established procedures and
practices.
 Set up and supervising temporary work areas.
 Supervise the safe handling, storage & disposal of hazardous materials.
 Supervise the operation of any potential hazards in the workplace.
 Improve workplace safety and employee productivity by transitioning from manual safety procedures to
digital safety management systems.
 Ensure that all company employees meet all OSHA requirements.
 Provide OSHA training if necessary.
 Ensure that health, safety, and environmental policies are followed.
 Investigate workplace accidents and injuries and refer them to the proper authorities.
112
SAFETY OFFICER- RESPONSIBILITIES

SAFETY POLICY
 An organization's safety policy is a recognized, written statement of its
commitment to protect the health and safety of the employees, as well as
the surrounding community.
 The safety policy also details the measures the company takes and will
take to protect the life, and health of their employees, often surpassing the
requirements set out by the laws or by the standard practices of the
industry.
 The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires employers to develop and
implement a safety policy.
113

SAFETY POLICY
There are generally three sections in a safety policy, which include:
1. Statement of the policy - The employer’s commitment to managing health and safety and the
goal of the policy
2. Responsibility - Stating who is responsible for implementing, enacting, and tracking each
element of the policy
3. Arrangements or procedures - Outlines the details of procedures including the reduction of
hazard policy
It may also include details about the following:
 Employee training
 Use of administrative controls, hazard isolation, locking, warnings, signs and symbols marking
hazards, etc.
 Use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
 Removing hazardous materials or replacing them with less harmful alternatives
 Improved lighting and working environment
 Prevention of slip, trip, and fall incidents
114

NEED OF SAFETY POLICY
Safety Policy Statement: Starting point of all activities in a safety
program, introductory statement in a written safety program & should
reflect the importance of injury prevention. It states company’s beliefs,
principles, objectives, strategies in field of safety
Management should direct safety efforts by setting safety goals & by
planning, organizing & controlling to achieve them.
Management expression of safety directions/rules to be followed &
commitment towards employee’s health & safety
Ensures worker compliance with Occupational Health & Safety Act
Creates safety awareness among workers
Sets out safe work practices & procedures to be followed at workplace
It clearly outlines responsibility & accountability of all
workers/employer for workplace safety & health
116

FRAMING/FORMULATING SAFETY POLICY
 Consists of three parts:
1. Statement of policy(not rules but purpose of safety):
 Sets out organization’s commitment to managing health, safety &
environment effectively & how it is going to manage/achieve it
 Statement must be signed & dated by a senior person
 It mainly says :
a. Organisation’s commitment to ensure safety of employees, customers &
all others effected by business activities
b. Who has ultimate(special, in-charge) responsibility for health, safety &
environment in business?
c. All employees have responsibility for taking care of their own health &
safety & that of people they work with(co-workers)
d. Company have to provide safe working environment, safe work
equipment & safe work methods.
117

FRAMING/FORMULATING SAFETY POLICY
2. Responsibility Section: says who is responsible for what.
 Overall responsibility for safety rests on the employer but day-to-day responsibility can be
delegated to others in the company
 Questions to be answered are: who will undertake risk assessments, who will make
workplace inspections, who will ensure safety of specific tasks/activities/work areas
 Responsibilities of Managing Director, other senior Managers, Supervisors/Team Leaders
& all employees must be charted
 Organization must designate a competent person to take responsibility of health, safety &
environment issues in business & advise employees of their duties & how to meet them
118

3. The Arrangements section: details of what/how employees are going
to do in practice to achieve aims set out in the Statement section.
a. Risk Assessment: provides training for employees, provides a written
safe working method, safety rules for particular areas
b. Involvement of workers in preparing & implementing safety policy:
 Consultation with workers on safety matters at work place will be good
because they actually do the job & can suggest whether proposed work
method is safe or not
 Employees involvement in making safety rules or devising safe working
methods will make them adhere to these rules because of their
understanding of them
c. Bring policy in attention of the workers: by providing this policy in
Handbooks, notice boards, intranet, company sites etc.
119 FRAMING/FORMULATING SAFETY POLICY

IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY POLICY
 Provide a suitable base for co-ordination of safety activities in various
levels of hierarchies(authority of workers)
 Provide clear, logical, consistent & distinct objectives/goals in field of
safety management
 Provide co-operation to translate safety activities into action at all levels
 Provide an effective platform for initiation & motivation in field of safety
 Provide a course of action which ensures that accepted norms of safety
are not deviated/violated
120

SAFETY TRAINING
Suggestions related to training include:
1.Only properly instructed & authorized people should be allowed to any
job
2.All jobs should be safe,
3.Hold emergency preparedness drills
4.New operations should be well guided so that workers with proper
skills are doing the job, they should be aware of hazards
5.Supervisors & managers should be trained to recognize hazards &
understand their responsibilities
6.Make sure everyone knows work plan in case of a fire/other
emergency, when & where personal protective equipments are
required, type of chemicals used in the firm & its precautions
121

 OSHA considers safety & health training vital to every workplace - most
effective when integrated into a company’s overall training in performance
requirements & job practices.
 The content of a company’s training program & the methods of presentation
should reflect the needs & characteristics of the particular workforce.
Identification of needs is an important early step in training design. Involving
everyone in this process & in the subsequent teaching can be highly effective.
 The principles of teaching & learning are:
1. Trainees should understand the purpose of the training.
2. Information should be organized to maximize effectiveness.
3. People learn best when they can immediately practice & apply newly acquired
knowledge & skills.
4. People learn in different ways, so an effective program will incorporate a
variety of training methods.
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6 SAFETY TRAINING METHODS
1. Orientation training for site workers & contracts
2. Hazard recognition training
3. Training required by OSHA standards
4. Training for emergency response people
5. Accident investigation training 6. Emergency drills
 Training should target new workers who wear Personal Protective
Equipments(PPEs) & workers in high risk areas.
 Managers(importance of their role in visibly supporting safety & health
program & setting a good example) & Supervisors(receive training in
company policies/procedures, as well as hazard detection & control,
accident investigation, handling emergencies)
 The long-term worker whose job changes as a result of new
processes/materials should not be overlooked.
123

Industrial Safety Engineering Module 1

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